1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatuses that are useful for manufacturing containers for materials being heated. More particularly, it relates to such apparatuses that are utilizable to make porous such containers from a heat resistant fibrous material such as microfibrous quartz, which are microwave transmissive so that the contents thereof can be heated by microwave radiation and can be ashed, which makes the containers suitable for use in ashing operations that are parts of analytical procedures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of a fibrous quartz supporting pad and a cover of the same material to confine an analytical sample during ashing thereof by means of microwave radiation is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,669 and a walled and bottomed container of microfibrous quartz for use in ashing operations is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,843. In Canadian patent application 2,061,790 there is disclosed an improved procedure for manufacturing light weight, porous and form retaining containers from a liquid dispersion of microfibrous quartz or glass by depositing such fibers on a screen while allowing the liquid to pass through the screen, removing the shaped material from the screen and sintering it to form retaining state.